This is going to be a power blog today.
Sven Mistlinat dropped an excellent interview with Rapha Honigstein in The Athletic. He basically defended all his signings and gave clear rationale as to why the club made the decisions. He also pumped Matteo and Mavrapanos, saying the Greek defender is the fastest defender in the league, and Matteo should have stayed with us.
Without doubt, we’d be a stronger club with Sven here. A lack of leadership didn’t work out well for his tenure at Arsenal. If Ivan G had stayed, he would have managed the process a little bit better and Raul wouldn’t have been allowed to run roughshod on him or the Arsenal brand. It is what it is… he’s doing a good job in Germany with a young collection of players. Hopefully Edu can do something similar with us this summer.
Arteta reckons we’re about to bang.
“This is where we are but sometimes it is difficult to see the moment now, but I’m sure [of] where we are going.
“We have created a really strong group, a really strong bond with our players, with our fans, with our staff and that is going to pay big in the future.
“If you are not inside the club every day and know exactly what is going on within the club, the only way to convince anybody is to win
I AGREE.
Points follow performances… Unai Emery was winning points without performacnes, and it caught up with him. We are performing but not winning points.
Cut out the errors in both boxes and this team will fly.
Our summer is HUGELY important to the revolution. The Arsenal machine has some parts that will always break down. We need to address those and Arteta needs to be fucking ruthless about that instead of believing his own coaching hype like he did last summer. Some things cannot be fixed.
My hope is that we start to match results to our performances starting now.
My second hope is that the plan going into the summer is sexy and clear.
Get rid of the dregs. Sign in young players with high ceilings. Hit the ground running next season.
There is a lot to be excited about. Don’t listen to the moaners that can only make a point by considering the entire season in the worst possible light. This was a transition season. It was a pandemic year, which is why you can’t compare it to any season EVER. The key point… we have found something. The coaching is starting to pay dividends. We are on the right track with the right coach.
What are the chances we could have an easy night for once this season?
It’s a huge game. Let’s see what we have. Let’s keep ’em crossed for a big win.
See you in the comments.
This is something that Martinez was much smarter about
It’s no use playing out from the back every single time. Much of the time it’s quite easily manageable and there are always circumstances where it’s just not on
Martinez was willing to accept that and go long. Leno insists on following artetas plan to a T irrespective of his difficulties performing that and the huge risks involved
If Leno doesn’t have the common sense to know when he has to go long instead then arteta should be telling him. No evidence that’s been happening tho
Can’t believe we’re back to discussing the Martinez sale – again.
The club would have happily kept him but
• He wanted to be guaranteed the no.1 spot rather than fight for it
• His contract was running down and there was a danger he might leave on a free
• We needed money and there was a solid offer for him rather than one for Leno
I’m sure if we’d received an offer for Leno last summer we’d have sold him and not moved on Emi. This is just how it goes.
China
“ Martinez was willing to accept that and go long. ”
Probably against Arteta’s instructions and maybe a consideration in Arteta’s decision process to sell Emi thinking Leno would be more compliant to ‘The Process’.
Whatever Arteta’s thinking leading to selling Emi it was wrong.
For me it was the beginning of a catalogue of errors and misjudgments by Arteta to this day.
Both Leno and Arteta share the blame for this disastrous slow play from thr back football. Arteta undoubtedly creates the rigidity of the system but Leno executes poorly and seems to have poor judgement.
Martinez showed far more common sense in applying this and his sale is an even bigger mistake than buying Willian, and that’s saying something.
We need to urgently upgrade Leno in the Summer
Still harping on about the Leno/Emi debate. It’s over, move on. If there is a debate about the keeper it’s should we buy another one? A comfortable win. The goal will do wonders for Odegaard’s confidence. I agree Pedro there is a good look about the team. The summer business is critical.
Discussion EMI whenever it seems Leno makes a mistake is sooooooooo boring and unimaginative. EMI has made mistakes too and worst still, we have sold him and guess what??? Leno is a very good goal keeper. Close to, if not world class. Y’all should really pipe down.
China,
‘Pyramid Pirlo’ was good. I also found ‘Thursday Night Pirlo’ as good. Lol
The fact that Leno completed both passes and our midfielders did something stupid doesn’t warrant this much criticism for me. We just don’t have press resistant midfielders. Have you seen how city play? Do you think Rodrigo, Gundogan or Fernandinho would fuck it up as much as Ceballos and Xhaka did? If they had any awareness of their surroundings, at least they should pass it back to Leno. Not try something stupid. I also have doubts whether Leno is a title winning goal keeper but right now he is good enough for our aims. He is a champions league qualifying… Read more »
If Julian Brandt is available this season, much rather prefer we sign him over Odegaard. It seems they will cost the same amount going by reports on Brandt earlier. I think he’s more suited to us and will be better vertically than Odegaard who is more of a sideways control kind of no10.
AFC So get banned for not being positive, or getting with the ‘program’ and just sitting back and taking shit. “or Pedro will have to put you on suicide watch…….!!” What a boring fucking blog (cult) that would be. Despite the above, I am stoked with that result. Couldn’t watch the game was already an hour into work, but the extended highlights showed some good football. The goals were incredible. Need some of those absolute belters more regularly. Our squad as a whole isn’t horrible. It’s just not top class. I think we have definitely underachieved so far this season,… Read more »
And I agree with some posters saying that it’s not just Leno’s fault. It’s also on the play out the back tactic we can’t default from. It’s fucking bizarre
I thought we were playing better when we stopped playing out from the back. Now we’re trying to do it again and it’s no surprise we’re struggling to beat the likes of Burnley
D3SH he’s being discussed because Leno has made two mistakes in his last two matches which Martinez very seldom made
If Leno stops making those mistakes there will be nothing to discuss
Thursday night Pirlo? HAH
El Neny has more amazing nicknames in his last 8 months at arsenal then most of our players will have in their whole career
The last arsenal player to have a good nickname was ‘Wally Walnuts. I think it was that game against city when someone set him free on the counter and he jumped out of the way of the ball for no reason that the name dropped
Bless him! His Mrs did buy him that coffee machine for his birthday that year tho so it wasn’t all bad for Theo!
Theo was so bants no one could contain him
Remember when vs Chelsea be fouled himself when running through their midfield, then got up carried on and scored
Fucking lol
China
Lol at El neny and nicknames.
I think the Walcott jump was against Sunderland.
Nothing has justified William starting games over Pepe and Martinelli if indeed this is meant to be a long term project as most people say it is, 7 assists the bulk being set pieces doesn’t invalidate he’s a Chelsea reject and frankly been horrible since he’s been here.
That game time should be going to the much younger players who’ve shown a bit more about them.
Good result yesterday though
Mystic there was one against City in one of wenger final seasons where I nearly threw my phone at the TV in anger
Can’t rule out it having happened more than once though 😂😂😂
I wonder to this day where that coffee machine is these days. No doubt moved on for a Tassimo or a Dolce Gusto
Goobergooner. Good post. Spot on about the squad. Arteta needs some serious upgrades in the summer but with our finances in a shocking state I would expect a few gambles and loans. We just don’t have the money to buy worldies. The state of our wage bill suggests he is under orders to get it down pronto. I also think having no crowds suits the more fragile players as they don’t have to deal with the negativity at the Emirates while others thrive on the atmosphere. Whichever way you look at it if we don’t start doing it next season… Read more »
Willian is finally producing… isn’t it about 25 games too late?
Plus hasn’t Arteta massively undermined his credibility by persisting with Willian so long?
What’s he going to do? Give everyone 25 games before they start producing? I don’t think so somehow…